Venetian blind



G. FINDELL VENETIAN BLIND Aug. 7, 1956 Filed June 30, 1954 uvvzNron GEORGE FINDELL BVMMM ATTORNEY- United States Patent VENETIAN BL ND George Findell, Manchester, Conn. Application June 30, 1954, Serial No. 440,335 6 Claims. (Cl. 160- 168) The Present invention relates to Venetian blinds and particularly to the type that can be used in darkening a room sufiiciently for the purpose of projecting slides or motion pictures. Blinds of this type are of special value in public or school auditoriums although their use is not limited to this specific purpose.

The principal feature of invention is a Venetian blind which, in the usual position of the blind functions the same as the usual Venetian blind. The slats of the blind can be tipped in the usual way. However, by tipping the blind slats somewhat beyond the usual positions, the blind will function to cut out nearly all of the light at the opening over which the blind is placed.

Another feature of invention is a blind which automatically assumes a position for cutting out the light merely by tilting the blind. More specifically, a feature of the invention is a blind in which theslats are made-up as pairs of strips, such that when the slats are tilted far enough, the strips making up each slat will be spread apart to cause the uppermost strip of one pair to engage the lowermost strip of the adjacent pair for materially reducing the light passing through the blind.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the specification and claims, and from the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a blind embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of the blind showing the slats in a substantially horizontal position.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the slats tilting into room darkening position.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view horizontally along line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of a modified slat arrangement.

The blind structure is basically of conventional construction in which the header 2 of the blind, normally concealed by a covering 4, supports vertical tapes 6 and 8 extending in spaced relation to each other on the front and back of the blind respectively. The tapes support a base member 10 and also have connected thereto the cross strips 12 on which the individual slats 14 are supported in vertical spaced relation to one another. Adjacent to or directly between the tapes 6 and 8 is the adjusting cord 16 by which the blind may be raised or lowered. The ends of these cords are fastened to the base member and at the top pass over supporting pulleys and a clamping device of usual construction. One arrangement of these cords is shown, for example, in U. S. Patent to Butler 2,255,311.

The individual slats of the blind may be tilted by tilting the header 2, also in the usual construction of Venetian blinds. The header is tipped by means of adjusting ropes 18 connected to the tilting mechanism which may be, for example, a mechanism similar to that shown in the above U. S. Patent 2,255,311.

The above construction is conventional in Venetian blinds. In accordance with the invention, the blind is so arranged that it will darken a room almost completely, much more than is as contemplated by the usual Venetian blinds. To this end each slat 14 is in the form of two complementary strips 20 and 22 which when in the usual approximately horizontal position, are in contact with each other at the room side of the blind. Each of the strips is S-curved or reverse curved in cross section and the strips of each pair are reversed with respect to each other, so that in addition to being in contact at the'room side of the blind, they are also in contact at a point spaced from the opposite edges as at 24. Beyond the contacting point 24, the strips bend away from each other as shown, so that adjacent the supporting tape 8, the edges of the two strips are substantially spaced from each other.

The top strip 2% of each pair is notched from the forward or room edge of the strip to a point back of the adjusting cord, as shown at 26. The bottom strip 22 of each pair has an opening 28 for the reception of the adjusting cord 16, this opening being large enough to permit the strips to tip with respect to the cord.

The curvature of the opposite strips of each pair is exaggerated in the construction shown for the purpose of showing the invention more clearly. The curvature is such that when seen casually from the room side of the blind, each pair of strips appears to be a single slat when the blind is in the position of Fig. 2 with the slats substantially horizontal and the blind slats may be tilted in the conventional manner. When it is desirable to darken the room, the slats are tipped by pulling on the appropriate rope 18 such that the strips move in the position shown in Fig. 3. It will be understood that the strips are of relatively lightweight material being normally formed of thin sheet metal and as the rearward edges 30 of the strips are engaged in the acute angle formed between the tape 8 and the supporting strips 12 for each slat as the blind is tilted into the position of Fig. '3 the effect is to spread the strips apart into the position of Fig. 3 such that the forward edge of the upper strip 20 is tilted away from the forward edge of the lower strip and into engagement with the rearward portion of the bottom strip 22 or" the next adjacent pair of strips. By

the strips moving apart, as shown in Fig. 3, any substantial amount of light through the blind is eliminated and the room can be darkened to a much greater degree than with the usual Venetian blind. It will be apparent that the notch 26 permits the upper strip 20 to move rearwardly beyond the adjusting cord 16. For more complete darkening, the notch 26 may be wide enough to receive the supporting strip 12 against which it rests so that contact with the adjacent bottom strip 22 will occur for the entire length of the strip.

For additional darkening at the ends of the blind, the latter may be supported so that the ends of the slats fit within vertical channels 32 mounted on the window frame within which the blind is positioned. A closure strip 33 adjacent to the top of the blind cuts light out above the top slat.

Instead of making the pair of strips forming each slat S-curved as in Fig. 2, the strips may be substantially fiat as shown in Fig. 5 in which the upper strip 20' has an upwardly curved rearward edge 34 and the lower strip 22 has a downwardly curved rearward edge 36. In this arrangement, the upper of the two strips will be notched as at 26. When pairs of strips as in this figure are substituted for the S-curved strips of Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, it will be apparent that they function in much the same way, since the upward pull on the straps 12 when the blind is moved into the position of Fig. 3, will bring the edges 36 and 34 together thereby moving the upper strip 20 into such a position that it engages its upper edge with 3 the lower edge of the next adjacent strip at a point adjacent its rearward edge.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiment herein illustrated and described, but may be used in other ways without departure from its spirit as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a Venetian blind, a plurality of slats, means for supporting the slats in parallel spaced relation to each other, means for moving said supporting means to tilt the slats, each slat consisting of a pair of strips one positioned above the other, the upper strip resting on and supported by the other, the strips of each pair being curved away from each other adjacent one edge, said supporting means cooperating with the curved edges of the strips for spreading the strips forming each slat away from each other along the other edge.

2. In a Venetian blind, a plurality of slats, means for supporting the slats in parallel spaced relation to each other, means for moving said supporting means to tilt the slats, each slat consisting of a pair of strips one positioned above the other, the upper strip resting on and supported by the other, said supporting means cooperating with the curved edges of the strips for spreading the strips forming each slat away from each other along one edge, said strips being curved from edge to edge and so positioned that the strips of each pair are curved away from each other adjacent the other edge to cause the strips making up a slat to separate along said one edge.

3. In a Venetian blind, a plurality of slats, means for supporting the slats in parallel spaced relation to each other, means for moving said supporting means to tilt the slats, each slat consisting of a pair of cooperating strips one positioned above the other, the upper strip resting on and supported by the other, the strip of each pair being curved away from each other along one edge, said supporting means cooperating with the curved edges of the strips to move said curved edges toward each other thereby spreading the strips forming each slat away from each other along the opposite edge, said blind having adjusting cords and said slats having openings through which the cords extend, one of the strips of each pair being notched to permit it to be withdrawn from a position surreunding the cord.

4. In a Venetian blind, a plurality of slats, means for supporting the slats in parallel spaced relation to each other, means for moving said supporting means to tilt the slats, each slat consisting of a pair of strips one positioned above the other, the upper strip resting on and supported by the other, said strips being reverse curved in shape transversely with the strips making up each slat being reversed with respect to each other such that the opposite edges curve away from each other, said supporting means cooperating with the slats when moved for spreading the strips forming each slat away from each other along one edge, said strips being curved from edge to edge to cause the strips making up a slat to separate along said one edge, said strips, when in engagement with each other in substantially horizontal position, having their other edges curved away from one another.

5. In a Venetian blind, a plurality of slats, means for supporting the slats in parallel spaced relation to each other, means for moving said supporting means to tilt the slats, each slat consisting of a pair of strips one positioned above the other, the upper strip resting on and supported by the other, said strips being reverse curved in shape transversely with the strips making up each slat being reversed with respect to each other such that along one edge of the slat the strips making up the slat curve away from each other, said supporting means cooperating with the slats when said supporting means are moved for spreading the strips forming each slat away from each other along the other edge.

6. In a Venetian blind, a plurality of slats, means for supporting the slats in parallel spaced relation to each other, means for moving said supporting means to tilt the slats, each slat consisting of a pair of strips one positioned above the other, the upper strip resting on and supported by the other, the upper strip of each pair at least being curved away from the other strip adjacent one edge thereof, said supporting means cooperating with said curved edge when said supporting means are moved for spreading the strips forming each slat away from each other along the other edge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,059,134 Metcalf Oct. 27. 1936 2,079,852 Granby May 11, 1937 2,315,640 Morse et al. Apr. 6, 1943 2,395,096 Brown Feb. 19, 1946 2,620,869 Friedman Dec. 9, 1952 2,673,607 Rulfs Mar. 30, 1954 2,723,716 Berni Nov. 15, 1955 

